Assam: Opposition opposes government's decision to change administrative structure of Barak Valley

The Congress, AIUDF and Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the government's decision to change the administrative structure of the three districts of Barak ahead of the delimitation and termed the move as regressive.

Rajya Sabha MP Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev said that the decision on district merger was taken just before the deadline of the delimitation exercise and as per election commission’s notification no administrative delimitation can take place after January 1, 2023 but the CM is working against the orders of the commission. Dev claimed that the Chief Minister is harassing the people of Assam. She said that Government should have taken the opinion of the people before announcing the decision. 
Strongly opposing the administrative changes in various districts, AIUDF MLA Karimuddin Barbhuyan said that the Chief Minister has decided to make delimitation and administrative changes to curtail the political rights of Muslims in Assam on the instructions of RSS. He said that such decisions are taken to reduce the number of Muslim MLAs in the state. 

Congress on the other hand said that there is no objection if the delimitation exercise is carried out as per constitutional norms. 
“But the administrative changes in the three districts of Barak is not at all acceptable”, Congress said. 
“The local people will be in dire straits due to this administrative change”, it added. 

Congress party said that a memorandum has already been submitted on behalf of the party to the governor opposing the administrative changes in the valley. 

Earlier , the Election Commission on December 27 said it has initiated the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam and will use the 2001 census figures for the readjustment of seats.

The Commission said a ban has been put in place effective January 1, 2023 on the creation of new administrative units in the state till the exercise is completed.

Under the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 1972, the last delimitation of constituencies in Assam was effected on the basis of 1971 census figures by the then Delimitation Commission in 1976, the poll panel noted.

The move to redraw the assembly and parliamentary seats of Assam as per Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 has been initiated following a request from the Union Law Ministry.

Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of the territorial constituencies in a country or a state with a legislative body.